Volleyball Rotterdam Meetup - The Smashing Expats

Hi everyone 🏐
We are happy to welcome you back on court for another Smashing Expats training session. This session is focused on strengthening core defensive fundamentals, with particular attention to underhand passing technique and movement on the court. We will work on how to position ourselves effectively in defense, how to move efficiently before contact, and how to create a stable passing platform under pressure.
As always, the session combines structured training with game play in a supportive and social environment. Both familiar faces and new players are very welcome.

📌 Event Details

Level: Intermediate players
Date: Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Time: Gym opens 19:50 | Warm-up starts 20:00 | Training (1h15) | Games until 22:00
Location: Putseplein 20, Rotterdam (5-minute walk from metro Maashaven)

⚡ Program
Arrive, change, and help set up the court
20-minute warm-up
We start with 5 minutes of warming up without the ball, followed by the underhand passing technique (forearm pass):
• Shadow platform & posture
• Self-toss and forearm pass
• Short-distance partner passing
• Shuffle and pass (movement + platform)
45 minutes of training focused on:
We will use both courts in parallel.
• Court 1: 6vs6 game play up to 25 points (no 2-point difference), focused on applying underhand passing and defensive decisions in real game situations. Once the game finishes, one team will move to Court 2.
• Court 2: Game-like defensive drills focusing on movement, positioning, and passing under pressure.
Groups will rotate between courts during the session.

Important for the drills:
- Please keep water drinking breaks to a minimum and return quickly to the trainer.
- Always come to the trainer/coach, listen and watch the explanations, and try to execute the drill as explained.
Questions can be asked after the trainer has shown the drill.

Games, games, games

Wrap up and tidy up together at the end

💡 Practical Info
Please sign up via this Meetup event or let Eleonora & Francis (XR2), Hazem (XR3), or Katarzyna (non-NeVoBo members) know directly if you are joining.
A €5 contribution applies for non-NeVoBo members.
Payment must be completed at least 2 days before the event (deadline: Sunday, 11 January 2026).
The payment link is in the comments.
Only clean indoor shoes are allowed.

After training, everyone is welcome to join for a non-alcoholic drink or a small snack at Cafe
Restaurant Baskent, next to metro station Maashaven. A relaxed moment to cool down, chat, and connect off the court.

Looking forward to a focused and energetic session.
See you there.
The Smashing Expats Team

Hi Volleyball Enthusiasts,

Our January indoor season continues, and we are happy to welcome you back on court for another Smashing Expats XR1 advanced training session. These sessions are designed for players who enjoy a fast pace, focused drills, and competitive match play, while staying connected as a volleyball community.

Whether you are building consistency, sharpening your skills, or simply enjoying strong rallies, this session offers the right balance between training and games.

📌 Event Details
Level: Advanced players
Date: Thursday, 15 January 2026
Time: Gym opens 19:50 | Warm-up 20:00 | Drills approx. 30 minutes | Games until 22:00
Location: Zwartewaalstraat 38, Rotterdam (5 minutes’ walk from metro Maashaven)

⚡ Program
• Arrive, change, and help set up the court
• Warm-up (20 minutes)
• Focused drills (40 minutes)
• Match play until 21:50
• Wrap-up and clean-up together

🎯 Experience Level
This session is intended for advanced players who are familiar with the 5:1 volleyball system and comfortable playing within structured team rotations during drills and matches.

💡 Practical Information
• Please sign up via this Meetup event or message Daisy or Xiaoyu if you are joining
• Contribution: €5 per session for non-NeVoBo players
• NeVoBo team members do not pay per session (seasonal fee applies)
• Payment link is in the comments and payment is required in advance
• Only clean indoor shoes allowed
🌟 Come for the volleyball, stay for the community and enjoy a strong midweek session with the Smashing Expats.
The Smashing Expats NeVoBo Teams

Hello, fellow Volley lovers,

If you are keen on volleyball and are looking for fun and social volleyball games plus some drills on the weekend, you are at the right event! For anyone from anywhere who is interested, feel free to register, we will ensure you have a lovely volleyball afternoon!

What we do expect from you is that you have good volleyball basics (you don't make a lot of passing, attacking and serving errors and know the 5-1 position for at least two positions). This is to ensure that the games run smoothly, as we play at an intermediate-high level. The first 30min will be warm-up training, followed by the games. The games are social and casual, but we do play 5-1 as much as possible.

Xiaoyu is the founder of this event, Daisy, Chia-Yu and Johan are the hosts.

***

POSITION AND 5-1:

Regarding positions, you can first choose a position between Setter, Middle, Outside, Opposite to play. However, if too many people choose the same position (for example outside, it happens often), we will use Rock-paper-scissors or similar methods to decide who gets to stay in that position for fairness. This is why you need to know at least two positions, as you might not always get to play your preferred position.

We allow 28 people to register and then divided into 4 teams (In case of 3 teams the limit is 21). It means that a team can have max. 7 people. If a team does have 7 people, Middles and Setter have slightly more time on the court, and wing spikers will have slightly less. We have 2 courts, in case of 4 teams, both courts will be used until 4:50 pm, after which we will move to one court and alternate players. In case of 3 teams, there is always one team resting, so expect some break and social time between games. Overall, you will meet people and have a lot of fun!

We do not set any boundaries based on gender, the teams are always mixed and the net height is always 2.35 meters.

***

STRUCTURE OF THE SESSION:

A) ENTER, CHANGING AND SETTING UP THE NET - from 2.20-2:40 pm

1. People with the key usually arrive between 2:20-2:25 pm, depending on traffic. It is highly recommended to arrive before 2:30 pm to help set up the net and clean the courts. Those who don't help at the beginning are expected to help at the end when we take the net down.

2. If you arrive later than 2:40 pm, it is considered "late," and you need to message the organizer or mention it in the comments. Repeated lateness wil be noted.

B) DRILLS: 2:45- 3:15 pm

C) GAME: 3:15- 6:00 pm

***

ABOUT MENTAL BLOCK

Mental Block was originally an international student volleyball club at TU Delft, founded by a group of East Asian students—Xiaoyu, Yabin, and Sheldon—in August 2016. Since then, we have organized numerous fun volleyball sessions and tournaments in Delft. Our style of play incorporates elements of Asian volleyball, with a focus on defense, coverage, precision, and speed. However, players from all backgrounds are, of course, welcome.

Now, Mental Block is collaborating closely with The Smashing Expats Rotterdam to organize volleyball events for expats in the Delft-Rotterdam region. Our Saturday sessions in Delft are always game-focused. If you're interested in participating in a Nevobo volleyball season, you can visit the main Meetup page for The Smashing Expats or reach out to Katarzyna for more information.

RSVP and PAYMENT RULES

--Contribution: € 5.5 euro, Payment link is shared in the comments.

--Payment Deadline

If you are on the going list, please make sure to pay before 12:00 noon on Friday (the day before the event). If you don't pay before the deadline, you will be moved to the waitlist or marked as "not going."

--waitlist

If the event is full, register for the waitlist. Cancellations often occur, especially around Friday. When a spot opens, it typically goes to the first person on the waitlist, but this can vary. Factors like late arrivals and skilled positions are considered. Daisy has the final say on who gets in.

If you are moved from the waitlist to going, you must pay before Friday at 12:00 or within 4 hours after added (the later time of the two applies).

--Payment issues

The payment link will be shared in the comment section one week before the event. If you can't use Tikki, send a private message to Daisy. Only pay if you are on the going list, and write your name in the Tikki message to let Daisy know who has paid.

--New to volleyball?:

If you are new to volleyball and lack basic serve, receive, and setting skills, we advise you to join the training sessions on Mondays instead.

--No show

If you pay but don't show up without informing us, there is no refund. If you inform the organisers on time, we understand unforeseen issues arise and will find a reasonable compromise.

***

See you and hope you have a greattime in playing volleyball!!
Xiaoyu

The Mental Block & Smashing Expats